Zinke Introduces 2026 Great American Outdoors Act 250

Washington, D.C. - Today, Western Montana Congressman, former Secretary of the Interior, and key architect of the original Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Ryan Zinke joined House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) in introducing the Great American Outdoors Act 250 (GAOA 250).

The legislation reauthorizes and modernizes the Great American Outdoors Act, one of President Trump's signature legislative achievements from his first term, investing $1.9 billion over the next five years to address deferred maintenance across America's national parks and public lands while creating jobs, improving recreational access, and supporting rural gateway communities ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

As the 52nd Secretary of the Interior, Zinke helped construct and champion the original Great American Outdoors Act, which President Trump signed into law in 2020. The landmark legislation established dedicated funding to tackle decades of deferred maintenance across America's public lands and has since delivered billions of dollars in infrastructure improvements nationwide.

"The Great American Outdoors Act was one of the crowning achievements of President Trump's first administration and proved that conservation and economic growth can go hand in hand," said Zinke. "As Secretary of the Interior, I worked alongside President Trump to help build the foundation for this historic investment in our parks and public lands. Six years later, we've seen the results. Roads have been rebuilt, trails restored, visitor facilities modernized, and access improved for hunters, anglers, hikers, campers, and families. GAOA 250 builds on that proven success and ensures these investments continue as America celebrates its 250th birthday."

Since its enactment, the original Great American Outdoors Act has funded thousands of projects, improvements, and repairs across the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Education. The law has helped repair roads, bridges, campgrounds, trails, visitor centers, water systems, and other critical infrastructure while supporting local jobs and strengthening rural economies.

In Montana alone, GAOA has delivered more than $100 million in investments for public land infrastructure improvements, including road rehabilitation, water system upgrades, trail improvements, campground modernization, historic preservation projects, visitor facility enhancements, and countless projects in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. These projects have improved access and visitor experiences while helping preserve some of Montana's most iconic public lands for future generations.

GAOA 250 would:

• Invest $1.9 billion over five years in national parks and public lands through foreign visitor fees, private donations, and onshore energy revenues.
• Restore campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, hunting and fishing access sites, and other outdoor recreation infrastructure.
• Support an estimated 72,500 jobs nationwide and generate $26.4 billion in economic activity for rural gateway communities.
• Strengthen America's $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy.
• Establish the new America's Legacy Restoration Fund to continue reducing deferred maintenance backlogs.
• Expand opportunities for private donations and public-private partnerships.
• Create dedicated opportunities for outdoor recreation and sportsmen's access projects.
• Codify President Trump's foreign visitor fee policy to generate new revenue for maintenance projects.

The bill will now be referred to the House Natural Resources Committee.

Read the full text of the bill here.